OECD 316: Phototransformation of Chemicals in Water – Direct Photolysis

Chemical pollutants and their transformation products may be susceptible to direct photolysis. Chemical pollutants in surface water often come from the transformation of other chemicals by hydrolysis, photolysis, and biotransformation. The results of OECD 316 are often used in conjunction with physical chemical properties from other test methods (abiotic hydrolysis; biotransformation; adsorption/desorption (OECD 106) to help assess the overall environmental fate of a product.

The OECD 316 is designed to provide information on the the direct photolysis rate constants, the transformation pathway, identities, concentrations, rates of formation, and decline of the phototransformation products that result from direct photolysis. The method is comprised of two tiers:

Tier 1: Theoretical screen: Estimate a maximum possible direct photolysis rate constant for the test chemical in the near surface of a clear natural water

Before carrying out any of the phototransformation tests, information on the chemical’s solubility in water (OECD 105), solubility in organic solvents, and vapor pressure (OECD 104) should be available.

For more information on Environmental Fate testing, contact the lab at 847-483-9950 or info@situtest.com.